Say Something (Book II)
by Caia Juliet
Summary: Verina Calder is the Victor of the 72nd Hunger Games. She did, in fact, make it out alive with the help of her mentor, Finnick Odair. However, due to the strengthening grip of the Capitol, things aren't going as planned "because two puppets cannot fall in love".
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is chapter one of Say Something. _

s/10065186/1/Say-Something-Book-II

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Day 31 pt 1: The Interview

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"Today, we welcome the Victor of the 72nd Hunger Games to join us for the first time since she was crowned." Caesar's voice echoes around the stadium. "We watched her through her toughest times, we bonded with her. We saw what drove her forward and what pulled her back. She overcame all of the odds - her training score, her lack of sponsors, the arena - and she now stands backstage. The lone survivor, our Victor of the 72nd Hunger Games, Verina Calder!"

I take a deep breath and sigh. The interview would last as long as my highlight reel doubled in size - six to eight hours. For six to eight hours I would be expected to sit with Caesar Flickerman and relive it all. I would have to watch myself kill and maim others and scream for my own life.

"Just be charming, Verina. Don't be angry." Mags says quietly from behind me. A victor must have a mentor backstage during the interview and Finnick should be the one backstage with me as. Mags had been in and out of the hospital during the past 6 days. I was told it was for something precautionary but either way, Finnick should have been able to put whatever he has going on behind him for the sake of Mags. I let out a bitter sigh at this thought and cross my arms over my chest, covered in silver and gold sequins.

"Come on out here, Verina!" Caesar calls out, beckoning me forward from on-stage. Mags pushes lightly on my back, sending me on my way and I strut out onto the stage into the bright lights. The applause of the Capitol citizens in the audience is loud enough to give me a headache but I smile regardless. Caesar motions for me to sit in a comfortable-looking turquoise loveseat across from his red chair. "Verina, Verina! Come sit! It's a pleasure to see you!"

"The pleasure is all mine, Caesar." I say with a smile, taking a seat on the firm loveseat.

"Certainly. Now Verina, am I correct in saying that you were very nearly lost? That we were close to not having you sit here today with us?" Caesar asks seriously, leaning forward toward me.

I wince slightly in response. "Yes, Caesar, I've been told that we were very close."

"We'll address the full details later on." Caesar says dismissively. "So let's start from the beginning. Verina Calder, you are 18 years old, correct?"

"Yes." I say, scanning the crowd for familiar faces but all I see is a mess of purple and green and blue, vibrant hair colors and clothing splatter the audience. Then, my eyes meet the eyes of Haymitch Abernathy, who smiles slightly at me, and I find where the mentors are seated.

"And why did you choose to wear that Reaping dress?" Caesar asks, referring to the video of me in my light blue Reaping dress walking up to the check in table to get my finger pricked.

"It was my older sisters' dress." I say softly. "She died in an ... accident. And I just decided to remember her that day."

Caesar turns his attention to the screen which had just finished showing Levilia Dritan's volunteerism and Veton Meallan's tears and now depicts my face as Drubidia plucks the paper slip with my name on it.

"Well I guess that you could say she was telling you it was time to excel." Caesar says softly. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Like she was saying I belong in Victor's Village?" I ask, playing along with what Caesar is saying. In reality, my sister hated the Capitol. She hated the Games. She hated the spectacle and most of all she hated the Victors. She was in Finnick's class when he was reaped and when he came back and she disliked him. Cephas used would try to convince her to give his brother a chance, but other than that and the times that I comforted Cephas when he was in the Games, those were the only times Finnick was brought up. My eyes find Haymitch Abernathy's and I look along the line of mentors, searching for a pair of sea green ones. "Greatness was one of her goals for me."

Caesar nods and takes my right hand between both of his sympathetically as the District 12 reapings conclude on the screen and the footage of the tributes exiting their trains and entering the Capitol begins to roll. "How did you feel in that moment?" Caesar asks me as my stunned face is shown upon the screens.

" 'Why in the hell is everyone yelling my name?!' " I say with a casual laugh. "No, really it was overwhelming. The Capitol is much different than Four."

"And what about this? The emergence of the chariots into the Tribute Parade!" Caesar releases a giggle. "You were a goldfish, were you not?"

My brain goes fuzzy as the image of Arno's face splashes across the screen and I see red. I see my anger and my will for survival. The struggle that occurred as trident hit flesh and sword hit flesh at the same moment. The only difference, of course, was that I went for the kill and he went for my arm.

"I was a goldfish, yes." I say calmly. "But Deremone did a fantastic job, did he not?"

The Capitolian audience roars in response, applauding my pink-haired stylist in full. I see Deremone, in a silver suit today, stand up and bow slightly. To his right in all gold is Drubidia. And to her right...

Finnick.

That bastard's face is emotionless as if he couldn't give a care in the world. Even Haymitch Abernathy smiled at me. I think about what my thoughts were when Finnick stared at me on Reaping Day, just over a month ago:

'You aren't supposed to look at him. You aren't supposed to think about him. Not in District Four. That's for the Capitol to do. He's the Capitol's boy.'

I can almost feel Finnick thinking a variant of those thoughts as his eyes flicker to an unknown point in the distance:

'You aren't supposed to look at her. You aren't supposed to think about her. That's for the Capitol to do. She's the Capitol's girl.'


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Tell me how you feeeeeeeeel._

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Day 31 pt 2: Changes

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"So next was your interview," Caesar says, flashing a smile. "Let's listen in, shall we?"

I turn my head away from Finnick and to the screen which depicts Caesar standing proudly where we sit now.

"A girl from by the sea who I know you'll all be rooting for.. from District Four, Verina Calder!" Caesar roars, making wild hand motions. A different Verina walks out onto the stage, attempting to radiate confidence. It's obvious that this Verina was innocent, had feelings, didn't feel so numb. This pure Verina wasn't sitting in a loveseat today being rewarded for killing children.

"Dear Verina, how are you?" Caesar had said applying a kiss to my hand.

"I'm great, Caesar, it's so lovely to see you." I had said with a bright smile.

"So, Verina, let's talk about that training score. A 3 is dreadfully low. What would you do different if given another chance?"

"Nothing, Caesar. You know that if I were fully trying I would not have scored a 3. I decided to omit my skills and I had some fun instead." I said truthfully, smiling again at him. Every smile was a pathetic attempt to cling on to my life in that peach colored dress.

"What did you do instead, Verina?"

"Oh, I just painted a picture."

"Of what, may I ask?"

I laughed. I actually laughed. "It's kind of embarrassing, actually."

Caesar smiled at me. "Do tell."

"I painted a picture of my mentor, Finnick Odair."

I wince at these words. This was the girl Finnick could have loved. I had a chance when I was the Verina on the screen, now however, I am battle-hardened and Finnick hates it.

"Oh wow. Was it good? Did you do him justice?" Caesar asks laughing and trying to invoke easy laughter in me.

"I tried, I only got a three on it so apparently not." I laugh. Caesar pats me on the back and I can tell that when I look out into the audience I am looking for Finnick.

"Now, who gave you that pin?" Caesar points to my starfish.

"Finnick." the girl on the screen says softly and I know in my heart that I could never say his name with ease again.

So how about your love life, charming girl? Is there any special boy back home in Four?" Caesar asks me, getting more serious.

"No. There's no one at home for me that I love. I can tell you that much."

"I guess I'll have to talk to you next in your Post-Games interview to see if that changes." Caesar says. "We're just about out of time. Verina Calder, District Four! Our beautiful starfish from the seaside."

The screen switches back to an ever present slideshow of pictures of me and Caesar refocuses my attention on the interview with him.

"I'm seeing a very different girl here today than I did when I talked to you in that lovely peach dress. Have you changed much in your opinion?"

I take a deep breath and glance out into the crowd. "I've changed a lot, Caesar. I think that everyone in Panem watched me change. I went from that girl on the screen to who I am now. And who I am now isn't who I was before."

"Was that change for the better, do you think?" Caesar asks, leaning forward for dramatic effect.

"I don't think I'll be able to rely on anyone ever again." I say, choosing my words carefully so as to not anger the Capitol. "There are people here who have certainly changed as well."

"Like whom?" Caesar asks quizzically just as a picture of Finnick Odair smiling flashes across the screen.


	3. Chapter 3

Day 31 Pt 3: Extraordinary "And this is where you made your first kills.." Caesar says softly and the crowd elicits gentle gasps at the brutality that erupts on the screen. My eyes focus on the screens that flash the depiction of the deaths of Keene, Adela and Veton however I am not actually watching. While the images portray a ruthless child killer, the actual child killer shows no emotion and it makes me sick to my stomach. When the television screens showed when I got bitten by the serpentine strikers and was screaming in pain I at least flinched but now, I feel nothing. All I feel is skeptical eyes resting on my face. The eyes of the families that I broke apart. I ruined all hopes that their child would come home alive and even when I try to think about just how bad that really is I can't find the motivation to even care. Caesar expertly beckons me back to reality as we go through how I felt, where I realized I could be a Victor. When I killed the girl from 12 and the boy from 11 and left little Mena there to bleed out. And when I killed Levila from 3 and took on Arno and Hero single-handedly. The screen shows me as I essentially get my ass kicked but still manage to live, over and over and over. I realize that I was lucky. I was lucky to have been able to kill Dimity from 8 and Ekon from 2. I can't even properly describe how I felt watching my last two kills. These were the closest of my near death experiences. The venom in their voices, the grips on my throat, the pain, the lack of air - all of it - comes rushing back to me and I can't do anything but sit there and let it captivate me. I can even smell Onyx's hands as they clenched around my throat, squeezing tighter and tighter. "Verina, darling." Caesar says suddenly. "You've been quiet for a bit." I immediately flash my teeth in a modest smile. "Oh yes, I'm sorry. What was the question?" *** "Arrrghh!" I scream as soon as I hit backstage where it's soundproof to the stage and cameras. In my anger, I knock over a plate with refreshments on it. My stomach churns as I immediately feel guilty about the people starving in the districts but I continue on wrecking and wreaking havoc on this empty space full of objects where I can't hurt anybody. Suddenly, Mags is in front of me, gripping my wrists with her old, frail hands and trying to tap into my mind for a second. "Why can't I get a handle on myself?" I spit. "Verina, you had probably the most strenuous Games anyone from District 4 ever had to endure. This is all completely normal." Mags says calmly, guiding my hands down to my sides. I towered over her small frame in high heels. "Nothing about this is normal." I say through gritted teeth. "Putting children in an arena is not normal. Killing children is not normal! I'm not normal!" "You're right. You're extraordinary." Mags says with a tiny smile. "You're no help." I snap walking away from her. When I am halfway down the hallway I turn around and look at her stunned, frozen figure. "I'm extraordinary because I'm a killer." I say flatly, turning back around and marching awkwardly in heels down the hallways to get to the elevator. 


	4. Chapter 4

Day 33: Attacked "And Verina Calder's coronation dress seems to have already sparked a bit of a Capitol trend giving her stylist Deremone Travys Capitol-wide recognition. The combination of sand and sea displayed in the stunning gown has encouraged a wave -no pun intended- of gorgeous District 4 themed ocean clothing." a Capitolian woman on the large screen in the dining area says, reporting the daily news. Deremone blushes at the mention of his name, picking at his food. "Congratulations Deremone, you deserve it." Drubidia says softly, due to the amount of tension at our mealtimes as of late. Ever since my interview with Caesar and the coronation and even now on the train back home, it is hard for a once cohesive unit of people to hold consistent conversation. Suddenly, the train jerks forward and then backwards as it starts to stop at a rapid rate, emiting loud squealing noises. Because I was leaning forward on my elbows, my head hits my water glass spilling it all over myself and Deremone. The rest of the glasses fly off of the edge of the table as well as the plates of food that nobody had grabbed to hold in place. Even our chairs slid and glass and china broke. Deremone gripped my shoulder to hold onto me but this action caused my chair to fall out from underneath me and I slid along the hard wood floor and hit the wall headfirst. Once the train had halted completely, I laid on the ground, curled up into a ball. "Oh my god, Verina are you all right?" Deremone asks, looking at me in surprise. Just at that moment two sounds begin. Two sounds that I am incredibly familiar with. One is normal, natural and seems to occur bidaily and the other I haven't heard in awhile. The first sound is the one of Drubidia's nervous whimpering tears, where her emotions overwhelm her and she doesn't know what else to do. The second is the soft, low chuckle of Finnick Odair. Deremone's face turns dark and he glares at Finnick. For the first time, Deremone isn't supporting Finnick unwaveringly and now the look on his face shows not only anger but disgust. "Deremone," Mags says softly as she moved to pick up plates off of the ground. "You guys," I whisper, hissing in pain. "You guys, can we focus on the problem at hand?" "What problem?" Deremone snaps. "The train." Drubidia whimpers. "It's stopped." "I don't see wh-" Deremone is interrupted by the compartment door smashing open and a dozen Peacekeepers flood the area in which we were seated at the dining table. Their guns are up and I cower against the wall, trying to shield myself from any impending danger. Mags' face is full of worry and she takes two steps backward, her hands full of plates. "Hey!" Finnick shouts as he is snatched up by his arm like a rag doll. "Finnick!" Drubidia gasps as Finnick struggles against the Peacekeepers grips on him. The sounds of china crashing to the ground erupt as Mags drops the stack of plates she had in her hands and the Peacekeepers begin to kick china out of their way. A medium-height Peacekeeper shoves Deremone down onto the ground where he hits his head on the hard wood floor and is out cold. Trying not to be noticed, I scramble over to Deremone and pull him out of harms way and underneath the table so that he doesn't get hit by the ruthless and random kicking of the broken plates and bowls on the ground. "I am appalled!" Drubidia yells, throwing a fork at the back of a Peacekeeper. "This behavior is appalling!" "Drubidia-" I choke out before a hand grips my throat and I'm taken back into the arena. I gasp wildly for breath and Onyx Jacquard's smirk deepens with a deadly expression. "I knew there was something more to you. I just had this feeling you would lose your humanity and be a force to be reckoned with." he says, gritting his teeth and lifting me in the air by my throat. The feeling burns and I can't breathe and it's head reels from lack of oxygen. The only tangible images I can see are Onyx's dirty, smug face and my hallucinations of Finnick's disappointed gaze, the jungle in the background. I am back in the Games. "Screaming can't get you anywhere. Screaming won't get you back to District Four." Onyx says menacingly. "You will never be Verina, Victor of the Hunger Games. You won't mentor alongside the Capitol's golden boy." "No!" I scream, blindly kicking at the Peacekeeper in front of me. "No!" "Let go of her!" Drubidia squeals. "Let go!" "Stop it!" Finnick screams as three Peacekeepers pin him against the wall with his hands behind his back. "Who sent you?!" Drubidia demands. "President Snow." a dark, deep voice rings out. And everyone is silent. Everyone stops fighting. 


	5. Chapter 5

Day 34 pt 2: Talking to Snow Review! I wake up to the sounds of someone retching from beside me. Apparently hovercrafts don't sit well with Finnick Odair's stomach. "Shut up." a Peacekeeper grumbles. "He's not meaning to." Drubidia says defiantly, gaining more and more respect from me. The Peacekeeper makes a threatening motion toward her and walks back over toward the door of the hovercraft which gently glides to a stop. The door slides open and light floods in from outside. "Mr. Odair and . This way." the Peacekeeper in charge says. His tone is cordial and respectful now, as if before him and his comrades hadn't ransacked our train and shoved us around like we were scum. Finnick groans softly as a Peacekeeper helps him to his feet. He was puking the whole hovercraft ride from a mixture of fear and hovercraft-sickness. "You okay?" I whisper as we are escorted out of the hovercraft and onto the roof of a large white building. With no response, I look back to see if he had heard me or not. It's obvious he had, his facial expression shows his disgust with the fact that I had spoken to him. Finnick is covered in sweat and worry and he shivers with every step he takes. "Are you okay?" I repeat. "Stop it." Finnick mumbles and I turn away from him, following a Peacekeeper down the steps and into the building from the roof. The decor is elaborate and old-fashioned and almost regal. It reminds me of where I was crowned as Victor just days ago. Then it hits me. We're at President Snow's home. "Keep moving." a Peacekeeper grumbles, pushing Finnick forward so hard that he bumps into me. Someone hits that Peacekeeper with their baton, probably because they're supposed to be treating us with respect and not like prisoners. "Mr. Odair, this way. Ms. Calder, you may wait out here on this bench." a feminine voice squeaks. A Capitol woman in a ridiculous business suit covered in large flowers made of colorful feathers motions to a red velvet bench and grins nervously at Finnick and I. "District Four is my favorite out of the districts. I really would like to visit it some day." she says, looking pointedly at Finnick. Finnick gives a weak smile and walks past her as if he'd been in this place a thousand times. He walks to the end of the hallway and knocks on a large mahogany door guarded by Peacekeepers. I lean forward, elbows on my knees and close my eyes. I know that we're here to talk to President Snow and frankly, the man scares me like no other. Not only is he threatening to look at, but he is a man without moral conscience. President Snow throws 24 children into an arena each year to fight to the death. Then again, I have twelve murders under my belt so who am I to talk. "Verina. Go." Finnick says, shaking me awake. "What?" I mumble, sitting up and flinching away from his touch. "President Snow would like to speak with you." Finnick replies. His voice is flat and devoid of emotion completely. I nod and stand up, walking all the way down the hallway toward that large, menacing mahogany door. I take a deep breath and knock twice on the huge door. From behind, there is a raspy 'Come in' and I grasp the brass door handle in my hand and push on the large door. The room that I enter is huge and covered in grand architecture, depicting bits and pieces of Panem history, relevant artwork relating to the districts and the Capitol. No one sits at the clean and pristine desk but the snakelike white-haired man sits on a peach colored sofa behind a glass coffee table. He is watching the projection of the highlights of my Games. An identical sofa is across from him. "Verina, come. Sit down." he says politely, motioning to the sofa opposite me. I follow his directions and sit down on the sofa, swallowing my nervousness. "You understand I spoke to Finnick before you, correct?" I nod. "The cameras showed you sleeping. I was just making sure." President Snow says with an easy laugh. "I didn't exactly get to have this talk with you beforehand and I felt as if you weren't ... ready to go back to the districts." "Is there anything I've done wrong, President?" I ask politely. "Oh no, nothing wrong. I'd just appreciate it if you understood what kind of country I run here." President Snow says softly. "You see, one of the downsides of having the Games is that every Victor is someone that has overcome adversity. Adversity is something people in the districts face on a daily basis, I'm sure you know." "Yes." I say quietly. "The people will, whether you like it or not, look to you as a role model. Unless we otherwise adjust you to be ... for lack of a better word, unfavorable." he adjusts his posture. "For example, for my Capitol citizens, Finnick Odair's image is one that is alluring. For the people in the districts, not so much." "What do you have in mind for me?" I ask worriedly. "I have a couple ideas but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Cashmere and Gloss Delorean are the Capitol's children, Beetee Latier is nothing more than an inventor. What we want you NOT to be is ordinary. We would want you to be dangerous, lethal. Just like you were in the Games but that's not how you were at your interview if you remember correctly. You were too ordinary, too everyday girl. I'm glad you didn't show animosity but you were too ... normal." President Snow says. "What do you want me to do?" I ask. "Act like you're above everyone. The girl who killed twelve people is above the Capitol people too. I want you in high fashion but still you. I want you to be above Finnick Odair." President Snow says. "Above Finnick?" I raise an eyebrow at him. "Finnick Odair is a scuff on your high heels. You may talk to him in public at events and in Victors Village but that is all. Do I make myself clear?" "Yes." "Deremone Travys will aid in composing a new wardrobe for you. Drubidia Ellys will help with the attitude. You are dismissed." President Snow says with a sense of finality. "Thank you, sir." I say, standing up and walking out of his office. 


End file.
